


Thinking About Being Married

by xswestallen



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Childhood Friends, F/M, Flashbacks, Wedding Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-07 22:51:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12242172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xswestallen/pseuds/xswestallen
Summary: Barry has been thinking about what being married to Iris would be like ever since he was a kid. Now, he gets to marry her.





	Thinking About Being Married

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Westallen Wedding Week Day 6. I’m really proud of this one. I think it’s incredibly romantic that Barry has been in love with Iris since they were kids, since before he knew what love meant.

Nora and Henry Allen were stupid in love. Before Barry made friends he thought everyone’s parents were happy and in love. Many of his friend’s had divorced parents. Some of his friend’s parents were widows. Iris West only had a dad because her mom died before Iris could remember. Joe West didn’t like to talk about it. But even the couples who were still together didn’t seem to have what Barry’s parents did. **  
**

When Barry was 10, his parents celebrated their 20th anniversary. This was the first time Barry asked his parents about their wedding. Nora pulled out their wedding album and Barry laughed a little at the dated pictures of his parents. Nora had worn a very 80’s dress with puffy sleeves and Henry had sideburns.

“How did you know you wanted to marry each other?” He asked when the shock of 80’s style was gone.

Nora gave him a kiss on the cheek before looking at Barry and saying “Your dad was the sweetest person I’d ever met. He was so caring and thoughtful. Everything good was better with him and everything bad was tolerable with him.”

Henry took Nora’s hand and squeezed it while looking lovingly in her eyes. “We were best friends. Your mom was my favorite person in the world. I wanted to spend everyday with her.”

His father’s words shook Barry a little. Best friends could end up married? Iris West was Barry’s best friend. She was his favorite person. Barry did spend almost everyday with her and the days he didn’t, he wished he could’ve. Did that mean that one day in the future Barry and Iris would be like his parents? Barry thought about it for a few moments. At first it was weird, but he couldn’t think of anyone else who he would fall in love with.

“Dad, if mom was your best friend how long before you knew that you loved her?” Barry asked more serious this time.

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”

Nora’s eyes lit up. “You know how much I love Jane Austen.” This time they kissed on the lips. Barry was a little annoyed they were kissing instead of answering his question in a helpful way.

What would being married to Iris be like? What kind of dress would she wear? What would kissing her be like? Would they be as happy and in love? Would they have kids? Barry enjoyed imagining what a life as Iris’s husband look like.

Over the next few weeks, thoughts of Iris and one day being in a relationship with her consumed Barry. He was now at a point where a non-Iris related thought was a rarity. It was affecting their current relationship and that made Barry nervous. He hoped Iris didn’t realize how he’d get flustered talking to her. Or how his gaze lingered on her. He wanted to talk to her about the way he was feelings but couldn’t work up the courage to do so. Barry realized he really wanted to end up married to Iris.

* * *

 

In high school, Barry was assigned a project to write about what his life would be like in 20 years. He’d be 38. Barry hoped he would be a CSI. He hoped his mother’s murder would finally be solved, that he could prove his father’s innocence and get his father out of Iron Heights. He didn’t want to talk about the loss of his parents with his teacher, so he only wrote about his ambition to become a CSI. At the end of the class period he handed it in to his teacher.

“Mr. Allen, come here please.” His teacher, Miss. Brown, called him over to her desk as the rest of the class hurried out the door. Barry didn’t understand why she wanted to see him and got a little bit nervous. Did she want to ask if the reason for his career choice was because of what happened in his childhood? He hoped not.

“You realize there is more to life than just having a job, right?” Miss. Brown asked. Barry let out a sigh of relief. “Isn’t there anything else you want to accomplish in 20 years? Get married? Have kids? Travel? Take up any hobbies that interest you?”

Barry thought about it. His main goal was to find his mother’s killer and free his father. He didn’t know if he’d have time for anything else. Marriage? Barry immediately thought of Iris. He’s been in love with her for years. He couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t love her. As his dad or Jane Austen would say:  _I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun [loving Iris]._

But to marry her he’d first have to tell her how he felt. That was terrifying to think about. Of course, Barry wanted to tell her. He had so many fantasies of confessing his undying love for Iris where she would tell him she felt the same way and fall into his arms. 

But it was too risky to tell her. If Iris didn’t love Barry back he would lose his best friend. Nothing was worth that, not even the chance to finally be Iris. Barry kept his feelings hidden. Those fantasies of being married to Iris remained fantasies.

* * *

 

Barry opened his eyes and yawned. He sat up in bed and stretched. Now that he was truly awake he remembered that Iris wasn’t sleeping next to him. For a split second Barry was scared, till it dawned on him:  **today is his wedding day**. Today he gets to marry Iris. They are going to be husband and wife. Barry laughed and laid back down. He still couldn’t believe that he was actually with Iris. Today he will marry her. He gets to spend the rest of his life with her. It felt like a dream. It was a slightly scary to think about how in just a few hours Barry would have everything he ever wanted.

Barry thought that if he continued laying there and thinking he’d start to cry. It was too early in the day to get emotional, there would be plenty of time for that later. Barry practically skipped into the kitchen and made himself breakfast. As he ate, he decided to take his parents’ wedding album off the bookshelf. He hadn’t looked through it in years. Barry smiled seeing his parents so happy and in love, how he remembered them throughout his childhood. He wished they were here. He wished that he could be in Flashpoint again for just 5 minutes to be with them.

Barry remembered the first time he looked at this book. It was their anniversary and the day Barry realized he had a crush on Iris. He blushed, thinking of of his ten-year-old self daydreaming about being married to Iris. Daydreams that he still had to this day. Barry was never able to picture himself marrying anyone else, even though sometimes he tried.

Today was the day. Today he would say his vows and slip a silver band onto Iris’s finger. Today she would officially be Iris West-Allen. Today was the best day of Barry’s life.


End file.
